Schools offer different paths to entrepreneurship

Two downtown Providence colleges are offering students different paths to exploring entrepreneurship.
On Oct. 5-7, Johnson & Wales University hosted a “Startup Weekend,” a global network of entrepreneurship competitions organized by Startup Weekend, a Seattle-based nonprofit. Meanwhile, at the Rhode Island School of Design, students have opened their own business, a storefront with a gallery called Exposé at 204 Westminster St.
“It’s a participation-focused event,” said Jeffrey Tagen, one of the organizers of JWU’s Startup Weekend. “The goal is to produce not only a business plan but to have something more tangible, a demonstration, a prototype, say a mock-up of an app or something involving a three-dimensional model.” To do so, the competition teamed with the JWU school of technology and AS220 labs in order to access their 3D printers.
The event is tailor-made for JWU. The school boasts its own entrepreneurship degree program, the Larry Friedman International Center for Entrepreneurship and the Small Business Development Center.
The competition is particularly meaningful to Tagen, a teacher of undergraduate courses for the school of technology. His curriculum includes project management, software development, database design and data warehousing. He also serves as an assessment specialist for the school of education and is a bit of an entrepreneur himself. Tagen is the founder of CrossCampusApps, a Global Positioning System-enabled service for notifying campus security of a caller’s location in an emergency.
Startup Weekend is a 54-hour contest that combines students and professionals, introducing all to the professional and personal challenges of working for a startup. Participants pitch their startup idea and receive feedback from their peers. Teams are then created to work on the top ideas, taking them from conception to prototype in a period of 54 hours. Teams must create a business model, including coding, designing and market analysis. “We push for every team to have some businesspeople, some designers, some creators and engineering professionals,” Tagen said.
‘We are about fresh ideas, making something happen and connecting these people, showing them that with a dedicated group of people in the right environment, the amount of work that can be done is phenomenal,” he said. The competitions can vary from location to location but they are essentially the same. “We had about 125 people registered,” Tagen said. “About one-third of those competing [were] Johnson & Wales students and another one-third from other colleges; the remainder are industry professionals.”
At RISD, unlike JWU, business studies are not at the top of most students’ agendas.
“Usually, undergraduates don’t get into the business aspects of their education until their senior year, and even then, some would rather not,” said Sarah Lammer, Exposé’s co-director.
Lammer estimates Exposé averages about 100 customers per day. At first many were students but with each day the general public has taken notice.
“We have already seen an increase in the lunchtime crowd and on the weekends,” said Exposé co-Director Emily Jenne.
Two student organizations, RISD Exposé and 2ndLife, partnered to open the business on Sept. 15. The two groups are treated as club activities by the school, which oversees and guides their efforts; however, management of the storefront, including staffing and financing, are accomplished by the students.
RISD Exposé is a student-curated art space. 2ndLife is a student-run nonprofit materials upcycling center, where discarded materials are artistically reused. The two groups share the same space but operate independently. It is completely student run.
“It is great to have a permanent gallery, especially off-campus in the middle of downtown,” said Jenne. “Both Exposé and 2ndLife had to sign the lease with the building owner, so it’s our organizations that are taking on the responsibilities.”
Exposé started three years ago as a “pop-up gallery,” showcasing art to view and purchase. The gallery will also be used to host workshops, shows and other events.
A show has already been planned for Nov. 29, featuring eclectic art.
Sharing the space is 2ndlife, a student activity devoted to the recycling of refuse into art supply material. Started in 2004 by students, 2ndlife sells scrap wood, drawing pads, canvas, paint or other usually discarded items. Patrons are welcome to trade, donate or buy materials and supplies at discounted prices. •

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